Bond reduction denied for bank robbery suspect

Stark County Circuit Court Judge Scott Shore ruled that $500,000 bond is appropriate for bank robbery suspect Joshua A. Williams, 28, of Toulon. Williams appeared in court Friday for a preliminary hearing on a Class 1 felony charge of financial institution robbery. He was arrested on May 4, after a man entered the State Bank of Toulon with a plastic bag over his head and ordered a teller to empty the cash drawer. When the employee refused the man left the business but then returned to the bank to inform the employees that he had been joking. Bank officials turned Williams over to the Stark County Sheriff’s Department. He has been in jail ever since. Williams’ hearing was to have been last week, but was postponed because public defender Robert McBride was hospitalized. Judge Shore told Williams that McBride was going to remain on medical leave for at least a month and appointed Kewanee attorney Ed Woller to take his place. Williams waived his right to a preliminary hearing and filed a motion for a bond reduction. Williams testified that he has a criminal history and is addicted to narcotics. “Even if it was through the Illinois Department of Corrections I would still like to go through some type of drug program,” he said. He asked to have his bond reduced to $100,000, saying his relatives could raise that amount. Bonding out of jail would allow him to seek employment, he said.“I think it’s not only in the public’s best interest, but also in the defendant’s that he remain where he is,” Shore said in denying the motion. A scheduling conference is scheduled July 5.n Also in court Friday, Stark County Jail inmate Daryl J. Jacobson, 49, of Kewanee, requested an evaluation by the TASC (Tobacco and Alcohol Streets Crime) unit providing he is eligible for the service.Woller, who also was appointed to represent Jacobson, said he would investigate to see if Jacobson is eligible for the TASC program.Jacobson was arrested May 10, following an altercation at a Stark County High School baseball game in Toulon. He was one of the umpires at the game.Jacobson was arrested after he allegedly become aggressive with the arresting deputies and ambulance crew. Jacobson had stumbled on the field and after recovering fell a second time, which prompted a call to the ambulance service. EMTs notified the sheriff’s office after smelling what they believed was alcohol on Jacobson. Jacobson is charged with resisting deputies, who used a Taser on him. He faces two Class 2 felonies of aggravated battery and two Class A misdemeanor charges of resisting a police officer. Jacobson remains in jail on $5,000 bond. He also has a court appearance July 5.